Nepal Travels!

A patient classroom waiting for us in Janakpur!

Handing out packs

The top of his class in Janakpur surely deserves a Westminster gym bag!

Drawing contest winners of our first sustainability workshop.

Jack made new friends!

Putting the supplies to good use!

Our first school in Chitwan.

Whose excited about backpacks?!?

Sustainability workshop underway, and students engaged!

A water bottle winner at the second school we visited in Chitwan!

Backpack Distribution,

Hello again everyone,

It's Jack, Tripti,Tenzing, and Utsav, and we now have Internet access again.  So far, on our trip distributing backpacks, we have been to Janakpur, Chitwan, and now Lumbini (the birthplace of Lord Buddha!).  We have  visited four schools, with one more left today.  After today, 500 backpacks, 1,000 pencils, 3,000 notebooks, and 500 packs of crayons will have been distributed.  In addition, we have been giving Westminster water bottles to the top students of each class, in every school we visit.  Hopefully we have conveyed the importance of education and academic excellence, just as Westminster has done for us.  When the time comes, these exceptional students might just remember Westminster College and travel all the way to the U.S. to be "Educated to Lead, and Inspired to Achieve."

To say the trip has been a success, would be such an understatement.  Every school we have touched has been so appreciative, and for that matter, very much in need of the supplies.  The smile you see from handing a child her first set of crayons is both heart warming, and in many ways, life changing.  This project is one that the four of us will not be soon to forget.  We thank the Davis Foundation, and the beloved  Katherine Davis herself, so very much for the opportunity they have provided these Nepali children, and the transformative opportunity they have given us.

We promise to keep everyone posted on the progress of the biogas plants, but until then, enjoy some pictures of our school visits!

Sincerely,

Making Lives Better

Pictures from Pharping Visit

Bags to be stuffed with supplies and distributed!

Beautiful Pharping!

Shikharapur Sustainable Farmer's School

Site Inspection

Environment Friendly Bottle House

A gift of tomatoes from our friends in Pharping!

Project Underway!

Hey guys,

It's Jack, Tenzing, Tripti, and Utsav representing Projects for Peace, the Davis Foundation, Westminster College, and Making Lives Better, in Nepal!  We apologize for the delay on this inaugural post, but we do have some great news.  We've already visited several times where the first biogas plant, rainwater collection system, and solar panels are to be built, a small village named Pharping on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley, and the site looks like a fantastic choice! We are so very thankful to Biogas Support Programme - Nepal (BSP-Nepal) (http://www.bspnepal.org.np/) for helping us find this local group of farmers dedicated to continued education and sustainability!  In fact, the plant will be supplying power and gas to the Shikharapur Sustainable Farmer's School's, environment friendly, bottle house.  As mentioned, we apologize for the delay, but unfortunately the project had to be postponed for a short period of time, thanks to the monsoon season.  That said, the foundation for the first plant is being dug today after recruiting some additional, much needed, man power.  This task should be done very soon!  Also, keep posted for information about  the installation of another biogas plant, at our second project site.

Believe it or not, we have even more great news.  Another part of our multifaceted, sustainability project, goes underway tomorrow.  The four of us, and some family and friend volunteers, will be traveling around the southern rim of Nepal to distribute schools supplies to first and second grade children.  These supplies include a backpack containing pencils, notebooks, crayons, drawing paper, and of course, information on sustainability!  Teachers and students will receive this information, we will supplement it with a fun and interactive workshop, and hopefully when their time comes, the next generation of Nepali children will contribute to the sustainability cause.  Since we aren't quite sure when we will have internet access again, we also do not know when we will have our next opportunity to post.  However, as soon as possible, we will have more great pictures and information about the project.

Until next time,

Peace!